<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Tears, Coffee, And Ice Cream by Alicorn8210</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24392263">Tears, Coffee, And Ice Cream</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alicorn8210/pseuds/Alicorn8210'>Alicorn8210</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coffee Shops, Friendship, Gen, Ice Cream Parlors, Trying To Cheer Up A Friend, Walks In The Park, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:06:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,376</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24392263</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alicorn8210/pseuds/Alicorn8210</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Marissa is nervous about living in NYC. Her friend and roommate, Katie, tries to cheer her up.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tears, Coffee, And Ice Cream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is another story I wrote for a project. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The smell of cigarettes and coffee floated around the empty street. A bright, colorful mural stood out like a sore thumb, but in a good way. A small brown bulldog waddled along the street with its owner, turning to look at Marissa, as if it could sense her uncertainty and wanted to make her feel better. The wind picked up, and an empty coffee cup blew near Marissa’s feet, spilling a bit of coffee on her shoe. Great. Just what she needed. She read the three letters on it, the three letters that made her head spin with questions, the three letters she was trying to get out of her head: “NYC”.</p><p>Suddenly, footsteps were behind her. Turning around, Marissa saw it was only Katie, her roommate. Katie’s everlasting smile and optimistic attitude were something Marissa really envied, especially now.</p><p>Katie sat down beside her, her blond hair bouncing.</p><p>“Hey,” Katie half-mumbled with a sincere smile. She scratched her chin.</p><p>“Hey,” Marissa fully mumbled, staring at the filthy ground and at the cup.</p><p>“So, you’ve been out here for 20 minutes. What’s wrong?” Katie’s face twisted into concern.</p><p>“Nothing,” Well, that was a lie. But what was she supposed to say?</p><p>“Don’t even TRY that!” Katie playfully jabbed Marissa’s arm, but that only seemed to make things worse. Katie saw the cup Marissa was staring at intensely.</p><p>“So, I’ve heard that place is really good. Wanna head there?”</p><p>“I’m good,” Marissa sighed heavily.</p><p>“Come on,” Katie insisted. “It’ll make you feel better!”</p><p>Marissa sighed. She knew 3 things: that Katie was really the one who needed coffee, that she wouldn’t be able to say "no", and that she would feel better if she went with Katie.</p><p>“Oh, OK,” Marissa surrendered. Besides, what harm could a cup of coffee do?</p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>“Isn’t this coffee great?” Katie exclaimed. She and Marissa were now sitting in the corner booth of <em>NYC’s Best Coffee</em>. Yes, that was the name of the place. Apparently the founder was really conceited. Although the name made Marissa chuckle a little, a forlorn frown still covered her face. There was a light buzz of chatter in the background. The aroma of fresh coffee beans wafted through the air. </p><p>“So...are you feeling better?” Katie inquired as she finished the last of her coffee. </p><p>Marissa couldn’t make herself answer. One part of her mind told her to just say "yes" and not upset Katie-she did pay, after all! If someone pays for your drink, aren’t you supposed to at least PRETEND you’re enjoying yourself? But the other part told her to be honest and say "no". So she stayed quiet, appeasing neither of the parts. It was her best option right now.</p><p>“I know that look. You’re still miserable. Fine, I know what’ll REALLY cheer you up. Ice cream!”</p><p><em> Oh God, I can’t. </em> But Marissa’s politeness gene had been passed down for generations, so there was no turning back.</p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>“One salted caramel scoop on a sugar cone, please,” Katie told the tall, blond woman behind the counter. Now they were in the ice cream shop <em>Van Leeuwen</em>. Turning to Marissa, Katie asked, “What do you want?”</p><p>Marissa mumbled so quietly that the lady couldn’t hear. She just couldn’t help it.</p><p>“I’m sorry-what did you say?” the lady asked politely.</p><p>“She said a vanilla scoop on a waffle cone,” Katie answered, being Marissa’s voice.</p><p>Marissa felt a little embarrassed having Katie ask for her, like she couldn’t talk or something. But that was the only plausible option at this point.</p><p>Once they got their ice cream, the girls sat down and began to eat their delicious frozen treats.</p><p>“OK, this HAS to make you feel better,” Katie insisted, not even asking the question.</p><p>This time, Marissa just nodded as she licked her ice cream. It was really good, she had to admit. But her stomach was still in a knot, and no amount of ice cream was going to change that. Even though it theoretically WOULD loosen up the knot in her stomach.</p><p>“You’re still upset?” Although Katie’s voice was sweet and gentle, her eyes had a weary look. Marissa gazed at her feet. Why was she doing this?</p><p><em> You’re a coward, you know that?  </em>the voice in her head gibed. <em> Just tell her what’s wrong! Or are you too much of a p- </em></p><p>“Come on,” Katie interrupted, conveniently preventing the voice from saying...you know, THAT word. “I know what you need,”</p><p><em> No, you don’t, </em> Marissa thought. But who knows? Maybe she did. Though the chance of that was really slim.</p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Katie held Marissa’s hand as they sauntered through Roosevelt Park. Well, Katie was sauntering. Marissa was moving very slowly, but was still somehow keeping up with Katie. They looked like a weird couple. Well, OK, maybe not. But still.</p><p>“Look how nice this place is!” Katie beamed, her eyes darting around. “The trees...the grass...the people playing basketball...doesn’t it just fill you with delight?”</p><p>Marissa was finally done with this. With a sad sort of anger and frustration, she growled, “No! No, it doesn’t! In fact, none of this makes me feel any better! In fact…” Marissa stifled tears. “IN FACT, THIS MAKES ME FEEL EVEN WORSE!”</p><p>Katie tried to stop her, but Marissa was already running back to the apartment. Hanging her head, she quietly sobbed, her head in her hands and her posture slumping over to a slouch. In the quietest and saddest of voices, Katie lamented, “I am such an idiot,”</p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Marissa was right back where she started-sitting glumly on the steps outside her tiny apartment. Her face was a sorrowful red, and the pavement beneath her was moist with salty tears. She couldn’t stop the tears. But, somewhere, deep down in her heart, she knew she was wrong.</p><p>Katie hobbled along the street like a woeful zombie. Her face had a thin layer of salty water covering it, and her usually rosy cheeks were now more like tomatoes than roses.</p><p>Suddenly, as she looked up, she could see, through her tears, a figure. It was both the person she wanted to see the most and the person she wanted to see the least. It was her. It was Marissa.</p><p>Marissa had seen Katie, too. It had shocked her. She didn’t know what she wanted to do. Did she want to tell her to go away, or did she want to let Katie come over to her?</p><p>She didn’t have time to decide, because Katie was already there.</p><p>“Hey,” Katie hesitated. </p><p>Marissa could sense her uncertainty. Katie’s face was twisted in an unsure expression.</p><p>“What do you want?!” </p><p>Shoot. She hadn’t meant to sound that whiny and angsty.</p><p>“I wanted to apologize,” Katie began. “I’m sorry, Marissa. I was trying to make you feel better, but…” Katie stopped, swallowing her tears. </p><p>Marissa was expecting what was happening next. But she was still thankful for it when it happened.</p><p>“But I didn’t realize that...I should’ve just tried to talk to you. So please, accept my apology, and tell me...what’s wrong?”</p><p>“I forgive you,” Marissa accepted after at least, like, 10 seconds. “And, well, to tell you the truth…” Marissa tried to get the words out, but...it just wasn’t happening.</p><p>Then, it just came out.</p><p>“I’m not sure I’m ready to live in New York City,”</p><p>“Is that what this is about?” Katie was...shocked, to say the least. “Well, don’t worry about it. I’m nervous, too,”</p><p>Marissa looked up. “Really? You seem so happy,”</p><p>“Oh, don’t get me wrong-I am. But I’m not so sure I’m ready for this place, either. It’s a big city that’s full of so many different people and different things. But I’m sure we’ll get used to it...together,” Katie held out her hand. “Well? What do you say?”</p><p>Marissa wiped the big, chunky tear off her face with the fabric on her arm. “You DO realize how cliche and sappy this is, right?” </p><p>“Oh, DEFINITELY,” Katie replied, laughing. </p><p>Marissa giggled, too. Then she reached out with her cold hand and grabbed Katie’s hand. </p><p>“Woah!” Katie yelled. “Your hand is freezing! Did you go to the Arctic before I got here?”</p><p>“Well, then,” Marissa stood up. “Let’s get some coffee to warm it up,”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you enjoyed! Kudos, bookmarks, and comments about what you liked are GREATLY appreciated!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>